The concept of accounting for one's time while performing various tasks is a concept that is well known and applicable to many various occupations or fields of endeavor. Lawyers in a law firm, for example, are often required to account for (in detail) the time spent on client matters. In fact, most professionals that charge an hourly rate for their services (e.g., automotive mechanics, service technicians, accountants) typically use some type of timekeeping device to ensure that consumers or clients are billed fairly for the services performed.
One drawback associated with existing automated timekeeping systems, however, is their sole reliance on predetermined charge codes or numbers. Employers, for example, frequently assign different charge numbers for each task an employee may perform, as well as for each project, contract, or client an employee may devote time to. In many workplaces, the process of accounting for time spent working on various matters (and subsequently recording that time using the appropriate charge numbers) is often the responsibility of the individual employee. In such instances, accounting for one's time can be a cumbersome and error prone operation, especially when there is a significant list of different charge numbers an employee must remember, or when the employee frequently switches between tasks that require different charge numbers. In these situations, the goal of efficiently managing time is often eclipsed by the effort of simply recording how it was spent.
Alternatively, a number of timekeeping devices (e.g., watches) have been used for tracking time. In some instances, many such devices have used some form of color-coding for various purposes including displaying the current time, displaying events or conditions that are scheduled to occur, and comparing an instant in time to predetermined time limits. One drawback associated with existing color-coding techniques is that, in most cases, the color-coded region may either be fixed or set in advance. Because known color-coding techniques do not correspond to a record of activities that were actually performed, or conditions that actually occurred, such devices may not be effectively used to record and display information about situations or events that actually happened.
These and other drawbacks exist.